There have been requests for the banananana ….oops, chocolate muffin for several months now.  I apologize for my tardiness and slackitude.  So, without further ado …. Here it be.

Banananana Chocolate Muffins~~ Cozy Style    (makes at least a dozen muffins)

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• Not quite a cup of sugar
• A little brown sugar— maybe a heaping Tbs
• ½ tsp bakingsSoda
• A little cinnamon
• About ¾ cup choco chips —semi sweet~~ more or less depending on how chocolaty you prefer

Sift dry ingredients— except I have found it best to add choco chips after the sifting

Wet Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 4 very ripe bananananas all mished up
• Almost a stick of butter ~~~  again like the choco chips this might be a preference situation … in fact one time I forgot the butter and they still turned out not terrible…. but don’t tell Carrie
• ½ cup sour cream
• tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Combine wet and dry.

Spoon into muffin tin (though the Czar does use silicon)

Add a couple or three or four chips on top of each muffin for cosmetic appeal

Toss pans into a preset 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes

Allow several minutes to cool down

…………………………Serve with a Banananana daiquiri

Prepare the night before and cook in the morning…takes an hour to cook

• Ingredients:
  Bread – I usually layer the bottom with Cinnabon’s cinnamon bread – then I also use French bread with the crust cut off.  (if you don’t have cinnamon bread you can use all French bread)
• Cream cheese – pinch it (or cut it) in about 1 inch pieces and layer it on top of the bread.
  Frozen wild blueberries (or fresh) – sprinkle on top of the cream cheese…don’t know how much maybe about a cup….I just sprinkle it until it looks like a good amount.
• 12 eggs
•  1  and 3/4 cups milk (or you can use 2 ¼ milk and no half and half)
• ½ cup half and half
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Sometimes I’ll add orange extract or orange pieces….all dependsInstructions:
• Cut (or break into pieces) bread into bite-sized cubes. Place in buttered 13 x 9-inch pan or casserole dish. Cover the bread with cream cheese pieces. Top with blueberries. Top with second layer of bread.
• In separate bowl beat eggs and add milk (and half and half), maple syrup, and cinnamon.   Mix well and pour over bread layers.
• Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.When ready to cook, remove casserole from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350º and bake casserole, covered, 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm with blueberry sauce or maple syrup. Yields 12 servings.

Blueberry sauce- 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons butter.

In saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and water.  Cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  When thickened, add blueberries and butter and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

How to prepare the perfect tortilla (you ask?) – First I melt equal amounts of oil and butter (the amount of course will vary depending if you are making two burritos or 12 burritos).  Then I brush each side with the melted mixer…just needs to be a light brushing.  Heat a non-stick pan until a drop of butter mixture sizzles when you drop it in the pan. (you want it to be hot).  Place one of the tortillas in the pan and cook until starts to bubble up (this should only take a couple of seconds) and flip to do the same on the other side.  Remove from pan.  Once you’ve prepared the tortillas wrap them in foil to keep moist and warm while you prepare the “insides”.

The burrito “insides” – well once again this varies.  Sometimes we have egg, cheese and chorizo…..sometimes egg, ham and cheese….sometimes egg, onion, peppers and sausage….sometimes…okI think you get it.  (you have options – what do you like?)  Once the tortillas are done the rest is easy.  Just cook-up: sauteed onions, sauteed peppers, meat of your choice, soft scramble eggs, cheese of your choice.  Then you can mix them together, take out a tortilla – fill the middle with the egg mixture and roll the tortilla.

As I am usually preparing these prior to the muffin and fruit courses, I’ll place the burritos in a pyrex pan, top them with some grated cheese, cover with foil and place them in a 275 degree oven until ready to serve.

Now you can serve as is, or you top them with a mixer of sour cream and your favorite salsa, or “as I usually do” mix cream cheese with either Red or Green enchilada sauce from Hatch New Mexico “Hot” of course (you can order online at www.nmcchile.com)  …..ah my secret is out.

Thank you – come on back now.

Ingredients:

• Sliced peaches in either own juice or in a light syrup (we prefer glass jarred peaches over canned peaches)
• Heavy whipping cream
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla

Ok so now I guess you want portions?  Well this is not a science – I’ll give you starting proportions and you can do the taste test and modify at will (it’s what I do on a daily basis…I being Carrie)

1 Cup Peaches

½ Cup Whipping Cream

1/3 Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Blend all ingredients in a blender to your desired consistence.  Thicker for Waffles…..thinner for fruit topping…..either way for the spoon.  Enjoy

• 3 eggs
• A quarter (1/4) cup milk (or a little less and add a splash of orange juice)
• 3 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, micro waved together until butter is melted
• 6 – One inch slices of French Bread (crust cut off) with a ¾ cut slice down the middle to make a pocket
• 3 slices turkey
• 3 slices ham
• 6 thin slices swiss cheese (usually the ham and turkey slices are twice as big as the cheese slice)
• Powdered sugar
• Jelly or Jam

1. Beat eggs, milk and orange juice in a medium to large shallow bowl
2. If you freeze the loaf of french bread it is much easier to trim the crust and to cut the pocket slice.  After trimming the crust, turn the load over so it is top down on the cutting board.  Half-an-inch in slice down ¾ the way through the bread, then half-an inch from that slice cut through the loaf.  Repeat for each piece.  Now you have six pieces of bread, one inch thick with a pocket cut ¾ the way down.
3. On a cutting board, layer cheese, ham and turkey (may need two pieces of cheese to cover the turkey and ham) repeat until you have used all.  Now slice thin strips of the stacked meats and cheese.
4. Stuff the pockets with the slices of meat and cheese
5. Pour ½ of the melted butter/oil into a large skillet – and heat.  When butter starts to foam (make sure it does not burn) dip three of the stuffed sandwiches into the egg batter and brown each side, remove and place on cookie sheet.  Wipe out pan and repeat.
6. Place cookie sheet in a pre-heated 300 degree oven for 10 minutes – This allows the cheese and meat to melt together.

 Transfer to plates, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with jelly.

Thought you might get a kick from seeing us 20 years ago. Carrie with big hair and Mark..well "with hair". And our (pre Margi) Black Lab "Pauli".

Sedona in May...green and in bloom. Caryn and Dean - thank you for all the pictures.

Father & son (Steve and Todd) getting ready for flight.

Cozy Cactus backyard (we're in the lower left-hand corner). Thank you Steve for sharing this with us.

Evening on the Cozy Cactus patio. Meg and Alex thank you for sharing this with us!